Thor: The Dark World

 

 

Out of everything in the Marvel Universe, when it comes to paper (comics), Thor is about the dumbest character. He will always look like the California surfer guy smoking the second hand smoke. He's a character that is supposed to fit into Norse mythology but I don't see much of that in him whatsoever. Unlike someone like Batman or Spider Man, this character has only one weapon and that is a hammer and this is cheesy.

That said though, Thor still has a lot of potential. The character is different every which way. Also Norse mythology is a very uncommon thing in the comic book world and also in the film world and this shows originality. Thor is also a character with an interesting history that breaks many norms and no doubt the series has an audience.

After an impressive run at the box office with the first feature film, Thor: The Dark World is the sequel. The plot has Thor (Chris Hemworth) fighting Malekith ( Christopher Eccleston) who is a villain that is trying to destroy this world by making it darker using the weapon called Aether.

Like the 2011 film, the cast here is a hit. Chris Hemsworth is the likable Thor who again brings a sarcastic tone. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman ) is Thor's love interest and is a character that goes with the flow and who along with Darcy (Kat Dennings)  brings more humor than the first movie which was unexpected. After what he did in The Avengers, (Tom Hiddleston) Loki is the character we are most looking forward to seeing. Here Middleston plays Loki, Thor's brother, as the same type of character as before. Loki is silly and an un-credited villain though ironically he ends up being on the good side here. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is the humble father who is trying to keep the peace between the brothers and also outsiders.

This being a superhero film, the next biggest question that comes up is just what does the villain  bring to the film. Even with the tired concept of trying to take over the world again, Malekith is the villain we want. With different makeup and being a dark character, the weapon of Aether brings a different element to the table. It's also not that hard to follow the story like some other superhero films plots that we have had in the last couple of years.

Unlike the first movie, there is a big ending here presented in a joking matter that feels like something out of a David Lynch movie. There are so many turns in the third act and final scenes that it creates a lot of discussion coming out of the theater. Still though, it sets the Thor series up for what seems like an interesting sequel and it also shows that director Alan Taylor is willing to make some very risky moves. Call it a mixed ending at best.

After the story, the next interesting side of Thor is the main world Asgard which is full of interesting colors, lights and tones. Nothing in the Marvel Universe really comes close to Asgard. As with the 2011 film, the part of the sequel in Asgard is a little thing of the film but it goes a long way and something I would enjoy seeing many more times.

It is probably something we don't need but Thor: Dark World is still none the less a very solid sequel. It is so good of a sequel it shows that something of this depth can work again. This will get even more interesting when we get the next sequel.

4/5

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Ted

Is there anyone in this world who really didn't grow up with a stuffed teddy bear? It's something that defines childhood and can create long lost memories. A fine example of this in the film world is Pixar's first film "Toy Story". It was about a boy's childhood told through toys; a story of kindness and the early years of school. Even though it may be somewhere in the back of the mind with those notions, the movie Ted is the exact opposite of what a teddy bear is or a film about teddy bears should be and that's what makes it fun.

In 1985 on Christmas morning in Boston, 8 year old version of John Bennett (Brett Manley) gets a stuffed teddy bear and John wishes the bear he calls Ted could be real. As it goes, Ted does turn real and an everlasting friendship starts. Now in 2012, still as friends, Ted and John are pot smoking, both have bad jobs and they look like they will never grow up. The plot involves both of them growing up and some more of that friendship.

With the older John Bennett being played by star Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane directing the movie and voicing Ted, no doubt this is a star-studded cast. Wahlberg is playing a tough character that brings both characteristics of a slacker and a hard worker but he evens out this character and gives a good performance. With many ties to the television show Family Guy, Ted definitely is more of a slacker than John but MacFarlane with good voice work makes Ted fit nicely into the story. Ted creates some messages that we have never seen before nor I don't think we will see again. The needed story that we do get is John's love interest Lori Collins (Mila Kunis) who has the necessary chemistry with Wahlberg and is a very likable and even lovable character .

Out of everything that MacFarlane does here that I like, what I like the most is how he plays a nerd in this story. From the Phantom Menace jokes, the Indiana Jones poster in the background in the first scene and all the cracks he makes about Flash Gordon, he gives a side of a director that is welcome in a film and I enjoyed it.

Ted is a strange concept and a silly film, especially the scenes at Fenway Park. Still, if you just go with it, it's pretty much bearable. (pardon the pun) This is a different coming of age story that could never not stand out.

4/5

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Blackfish

Founded in 1964 by Milton C. Shedd, Ken Norris and David DeMott, Sea World was the newest theme park attraction in the 60's. It was a theme park attraction that was different for the 60's and even now due to it's marine life theme. From it's popular roller coaster Kraken in Orlando, Florida to the Madagascar Live! Operation:Vacation show in San Diego, California, this points to why Sea World is so successful. That said, Blackfish by CNN is made for the whole world to show us what is underneath the surface of this company and some of their wrongdoings.

Blackfish makes it's main points through Tilikum the 12,000 pound killer whale who has had 21 offspring and has helped make Sea World successful but has also been responsible for three deaths. Tilikum is a whale that has put his mark on Sea World and now will always define it. Through the use of nets and hooks, Tilkum was wrongfully captured off the cost of Iceland in 1983. I don't think there is anyway a whale or any other type of marine animal for that matter should be taken away from a place where they grew up or where their family is and taken to a Sea World park. It is like taking a human being out of  their house and putting them in a far away place without any hope of ever getting back.

To learn information about Tilikum, we see interviews with the former trainers of this whale. These are great and informative interviews that show the power, love and intelligence of this whale. They also point to more of Sea World's wrongdoings.

The biggest point Blackfish makes is about the deaths caused by Tililkum that we do see through some scary scenes. One involved a 1991 incident with the trainer Keltie Byrne, another is a strange 1999 incident that involved Daniel Dukes and also an incident in 2010 involving the now well- known trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Afterwards, you cannot look at this large mammal the same but also there are many holes in place in these stories. Where was security in the Daniel Dukes incident where he got in the Tilikum's tank? Dawn Brancheau's story has obviously been covered up many times by Sea World. There is a lot interesting information out there that we really still need to learn.

Also included in this film, are some fun commercials from Sea World. We see a family from Detroit from the 90's doing a promotion, a first time baby whale shown in 1994 and it's fun to look back at this. We also learn about whales' brain which was unexpected. It's the little things like this shows off some Sea World nostalgia and you can see that director Gabriela Cowperthwaite has done her homework.

Blackfish is one-sided but it is a film we need. It is great for what it tells us and it's effect on us. Frankly, nothing in this will want to make you go back to Sea World again. Blackfish is a chilling documentary that can't be always full explained but it is nothing short of amazing. Even though it is a documentary, Blackfish is still no doubt one of the top films of 2013.

5/5

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